


Return of the King

by ironicbleu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, it's MY izuleo and I get to make them happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25704625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicbleu/pseuds/ironicbleu
Summary: Leo Tsukinaga has finally made his gallant return to Yumenosaki.Izumi Sena is less than thrilled at having to face him and own up to his actions.AKA: Leo and Izumi reconcile, with a happy ending.
Relationships: Sena Izumi/Tsukinaga Leo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	Return of the King

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I recently read Checkmate and it shattered me, so here is some happy IzuLeo to compensate. 
> 
> Comments and feedback are appreciated!

Leo Tsukinaga had finally made his return.

When Izumi caught wind of the news, he felt his lungs tighten with anxiety and guilt. He had known this day would come. He would have to face Leo; come face to face with the king he so mercilessly broke and dethroned. Leo likely hated his guts now, and Izumi didn’t blame him. He almost laughed at how pitiful the situation was. As much as he tried to calm himself with logical reassurance, the impending awkwardness of seeing his former partner again was nerve wracking, and Izumi almost wished Leo hadn’t come back. 

Almost, but not quite. Because admittedly, Izumi was incredibly lonely without the eccentric composer. After all, you don’t realize how much you miss something until it’s gone. And Izumi truly had taken Leo’s friendship for granted. Now, Izumi realized the truth of his feelings, and the truth of how he had felt about Leo all along… but it was likely too late. 

It was far too late to say, “I love you too.”

While Leo was gone, Izumi had had plenty of time to think over the things that had happened between them. At first, Izumi was quick to deny that things were his fault. How could Leo be so stupid, moreso than usual? The audacity that Leo had to unjustly accuse him of his downfall had made Izumi’s blood boil with rage. But as time went on, and Izumi was left to his own devices, he realized Leo was completely right.

It _was_ his fault.

It was his fault that he had tainted Leo, that he had desecrated Leo’s wings. Once the same pure white of an angel’s, they had been stained with the blood of a hundred fallen idols. It was his fault that he had used Leo for his unmatched music, no better than the very slackers Izumi so passionately hated. It was his fault that Leo had broken; Izumi’s was the very hand that shattered the delicate, innocent Leo. Izumi had killed Cock Robin, slowly torturing him all the while until his inevitable death as the weight of his sins came down to crush him. 

And Izumi felt as though the weight his sins would be enough to crush the earth itself.

That’s why Izumi Sena found himself standing at Leo’s front door on a Saturday afternoon, hands nervously fidgeting with the tips of his cardigan. He knocked on the door, a motion which he had done dozens of times in the past. The familiarity hurt.

The door opened quickly, none other than Leo himself standing in the doorway. When he realized his visitor was Izumi, he wasted no time yelling, “Stupid Sena! I don’t want to see you! Go away or I’ll send the aliens to come after you, too!” before slamming the door in his face.

Izumi simply stood there at a loss for words. He would not be deterred so easily, though, and he knocked again.

Luckily for him, he was granted a second chance as Leo opened the door once more. He stood there, pouting, not uttering a single word. Somehow, the silence was worse than any odd and childish insults he could have flung at Izumi.

Izumi cleared his throat. “Leo-kun… I want to talk to you.” He paused. “No… I _need_ to talk to you.”

Leo tilted his head. “What’s up, Sena?” he nonchalantly asked, though Izumi knew better than to assume Leo was being innocent; the ginger had a habit of being passive aggressive. Izumi decided not to indulge said passive aggressiveness, insteading choosing to be honest and level headed.

“I heard you were back, so I wanted to talk about the things that happened before you left. But most importantly, I want to apologize,” Izumi sincerely said in a gentle tone of voice reserved for Leo’s ears only.

Leo mulled it over, a blank expression on his face. The lack of a smile, or any emotion at all, made Izumi’s insides turn. He would give anything to see that radiant smile again. It made Izumi’s heart ache with longing -- longing for the happy times back then, when Leo was laughing and smiling by his side. 

“Fine,” Leo shrugged, seemingly indifferent. “You can come in. But this better be good, ‘cause I was in the middle of writing something!” he griped. “So don’t waste my time! A genius has important things to attend to!” 

Izumi nodded as he followed Leo inside and into the composer’s bedroom. It was just as messy as Izumi remembered, spare papers decorating the floor and overflowing from Leo’s desk. Despite the messiness though, and the obvious conclusion that this room was occupied, it felt unlived in. Despite the clutter, it felt empty; like the lights were on, but nobody was home.

Izumi sat on Leo’s bed, while Leo made himself comfortable on the floor. “Well?” he asked. “I ain’t got all day, Sena.”

Izumi cleared his throat, suddenly overcome with fear. But he’d made it this far, and this was something he had to do. If not to absolve his own guilt, then to give Leo some sort of closure. 

“...While you were gone, I had a lot of time to think over things,” Izumi began, picking at his fingernails. A bad habit he had yet to break. “When you left, you told me it was my fault. And I was stupid, and childish, and just a shitty immature brat, so I denied it. I'm sure that hurt you. I thought you were just being… that _you_ were the one being childish. But I was wrong, Leo,” Izumi admitted, forlorn yet firm. “My mistakes keep me awake at night, they haunt me every day that I can’t see your face. Because now, I know it was my fault. And as hard as it is, I accept it. I hurt you. I used you. I was no better than the people we trampled. I _broke_ you, Leo, I--” Izumi paused, choking up. He shook his head and buried his face in his hands. “So please know, from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.” 

Deafening silence filled the room, heightening the awkwardness. Izumi wished he could disappear, to be anywhere else but here. If Leo could just say something-- 

“I never hated you, y’know,” Leo spoke up. 

“What?” Izumi asked.

Leo smiled; a small, sad smile, but Izumi was still glad to see it even if it pierced straight through his heart. “Yeah. I didn’t hate you. I know I may have said those things, but I’m sure Sena is familiar with saying things he doesn’t mean, right?” Leo asked, a devilish look gracing his face. “Heheh. Anyways, even after I left, I thought about you all the time. I thought it was just because I was upset with you. And that was probably part of it. But the worst part is, I realized I still loved you!” Leo said, voice cracking as he threw his hands in the air. “I spent time with other people to try and make the aching stop, but it just wouldn’t go away! Ugh!” Leo groaned, tugging at his hair. “Stupid! Stupid! I hate this, Sena! How did it come to this?” he wailed. “We had everything! And now, a year later, we’re crying to each other in my bedroom, spewing dumb apologies!? Wahahaha! It’s kind of funny, right? How much things can change!”

“Leo…” Izumi murmured, unsure how to console the mess of a king in front of him. He pulled himself together, figuring the thing Leo needed the most right now was honesty. If that was what his king needed, Izumi would strip himself bare. 

“I never hated you either, you know. I dismissed your feelings. Every ‘I love you!’ was met with a ‘Shut up!’. You take everything at face value, so I bet you really thought I did hate you. And yet, you still…” Izumi trailed off, memories of Leo’s excruciating dedication crossing his mind. “Well, that’s not the point I’m getting at here. The point I’m trying to make is that I was dishonest with you. I was dishonest with my feelings. Leo, there were a lot of things you made me feel that scared me. I'd never felt that way about anyone before. And to the guy who’s always like, ‘I don’t need friends!’, it was really terrifying to feel…” he paused, clenching his fists. “...to feel like I wanted to get close to you and open up to you. So I pushed you away. And I hurt you. And I regret it more than anything, Leo. Because I’ve realized that I did love you.” He paused, choking up yet again. “And I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner--”

Whatever Izumi was going to say after that was interrupted by a giant hug from Leo as he flung himself onto Izumi, wrapping his arms tightly around him. “Sena, you idiot! Stupid! Stupid! You’re really smart but you’re a huge dumbass!” Leo cried, nuzzling his face against Izumi’s shoulder. 

Izumi was taken aback by the sudden burst of affection from Leo, but quickly reciprocated and wrapped his arms around the ginger. “I know,” he solemnly laughed. “Trust me, I know. Leo, will you accept my apology? You don’t have to forgive me, but--”

“Sena,” Leo said seriously, holding his finger to Izumi’s mouth to shush him. “Listen, okay? I know you hurt me. And I really appreciate you coming here to apologize. So I accept that apology. And I forgive you. I’m just… glad to be with you again. I really do love you. I still do. Even now, I could write a million songs just by feeling the warmth of your hug! And it’d make the audience cry, because I’d put my heart into it and they’d feel the love I have for you!”

Izumi tightened his hold around Leo. “Leo… I love you too. I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”

“Wahaha! Better late than never!” Leo laughed, continuing to rub his face against the fabric of Izumi’s shirt like an affectionate cat. “Hey, Sena, can you hold me like this more often?”

“Sure,” Izumi said. “I promise to make up for everything I didn’t give you in the past. I’ll be better now.”

Leo perked up. “Ehhh? You really want to make up for _everything_? Then kiss me!” 

Izumi’s face immediately flushed. “You… Do you really want that? I mean, we literally _just_ made up, and I’m not even your boyfriend, and--”

“Sena, I’ve wanted that since I first met you,” Leo said sincerely, cupping Izumi’s face in his hands. “I love you. I have since the very beginning, and I still do. As much as I tried to bury it or throw it away, that love just wouldn’t leave me! Like an annoying leech!”

“I’m not sure that’s a good analogy…?” Izumi awkwardly laughed. “But I’ve loved you since the beginning too. I was just too dumb to realize it. But now that I do…” He gave Leo a quick peck on the lips. “Was that okay?”

Leo thrashed around in Izumi’s arms like a toddler. “No fair! That wasn’t nearly long enough! Bad Sena! Meanie! Do it again!” 

Izumi leaned forward and captured Leo in a kiss, much more meaningful than the first time. Izumi savored the way Leo’s lips felt against his, and he had a feeling this is how it was meant to be all along. Even if the road to get to this point was full of pain and torturous regret, Izumi realized he wouldn’t trade the present for anything in the world.

“Better?” Izumi asked, pulling away.

“Much better! But you’ll have to promise to do it lots more in the future, okay?” Leo said, pouting. “Or else I might run away again and let the aliens take me away for real!”

Izumi smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t want that. I… wouldn’t want to lose my boyfriend like that, y’know?”

Leo gasped. “Boyfriend!? You’re talking about me, right!?” 

“If… if you want to be--”  
  


“Yes! A million times yes! A million, billion, jillion times yes!” Leo happily cheered. Suddenly, he perked up and flew out of Izumi’s arms. “Inspiration! It’s come!” he yelled, running over to his desk and quickly pulling out paper, knocking over a cup of pens in the process. “I’m gonna write the best love song ever! It’ll be called ‘My Dumb Boyfriend Named Sena’!” he said, frantically scribbling down notes on the paper.

Izumi smiled at the scene before him. He was reunited with Leo, and not only that, but the two of them could continue forward together. Even if things had been rocky between them, and even if they had both been in excruciating pain to get to this point, he felt as though this was always meant to be the outcome. 

Having Leo by his side, where he perfectly belonged. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Want to keep up with my writing? Have any requests or want to work together?
> 
> Feel free to contact me at @owarinotenshi on Twitter!


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